A while ago on Twitter, I asked if anyone knew of any Maori spec fic writers. Some people knew of a couple, and I gradually pulled together a list. There was a lot of discussion on whether all of these writers could be classified as spec fic, and whether all of these writers could be regarded as Maori. I’m not even close to the right cultural background to determine if someone is Maori or not so I’ve included every name I was given: if any of the writers ask me to take them off the list, I will do so at once. If anyone else wants a name to come off the list, I’d appreciate having evidence (eg a well-sourced statement by the author). I take this approach because I’ve been left off many lists of Jewish authors and many of Australian authors because people think I can’t be one or the other when, in fact, I’m both.The other point of discussion is whether works are speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, horror) or not. This is a complex issue and each work by each author needs to be considered in its way.
If I have names wrong and typos and other errors, I’d love to fix them, so please let me know! Lists produced by internet are not always accurate. I sat on this list for months because I was trying to find out what I was missing and what I had wrong, but at this moment it’s better to get the list up and let everyone who wants work with it.
This list is, therefore, just a beginning, sparked by a moment on Twitter when I’d asked for more reading, having run out of works by both Tina Makereti and Dan Rabarts. This is not my area of expertise, but I do enjoy reading NZ fiction. I would be very happy to retire the list when someone publishes a definitive one.
I’m also happy to add more names, for that means I have more books to read.